Observations from a lifelong passionate guitar player.

Tag Archives: Events

This is a post about becoming successful as a band. It’s about music, so don’t let this next paragraph turn you off. In fact if it does turn you off, that’s likely part of your problem. So here goes.

There is a great book that you can find in the business section of any bookseller, online or otherwise. It’s called the E-Myth Revisited, and it’s by Michael Gerber. I recommend it constantly to clients and to my professional speaking audiences because of its simple premise: just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you’ll make a good entrepreneur. That’s the myth. That’s what the letter “E” stands for in the title: Entrepreneur. To succeed in business, you have to have a triangle of talents: 1.) your subject matter expertise; 2.) your marketing ability; and 3.) your management ability.

In terms of being a musical act, your subject matter expertise means your ability to perform live, which is very different from simply being able to play your instrument. Marketing ability helps you locate new business, and management ability helps the business run. Most businesses fail because the entrepreneur only wants to focus on what he/she does best, leaving the other two sides of triangle unattended, at which point the business collapses.

It’s the same with bands. Many people form bands with the idea of jamming once per week and then hopefully getting a gig somewhere. There are a lot of talented, passionate musicians out there. But for the band to make it out of the basement, they must fit themselves inside the place where talent, chemistry and schedules overlaps. People have to be able to play, but they also have to get along in some form – be on the same mental page. And they need to be able to get together no less than once per week, in order to keep up the momentum.

If you have talent and chemistry, you will likely have a great time jamming and experimenting in the basement, and for many that is certainly enough. It’s the sheer joy of playing music with kindred spirits. Nothing wrong with that, but it won’t get you many gigs.

If you have talent and a schedule for regular rehearsal, you will likely have a band for a while, but once new members pass through the honeymoon stage of “Wow! this is cool,” their true personalities will emerge. Just as with any team that is formed in the corporate world, the danger of things falling apart is high if the chemistry and sense of team is not omnipresent.

If you have interpersonal chemistry and an schedule that allows regular rehearsals, but the talent is not quite there, well, lots of practice is in order. Playing live onstage is a lot harder than jamming in the basement. Some musicians are indeed lucky to learn this by playing hundreds of gigs a year on the road, hardening up their skills under the lights. But for basement bands, it’s vital to use that valuable rehearsal time to rehearse as a band, rather than noodle around.

Once a band finds itself in the perfect center of this Venn diagram, it must then have a read of – or listen to – Mr. Gerber’s book to understand fully that industry they are operating in is called show-business, not show-play. A band is a business. It needs management and marketing just like any other entrepreneurial undertaking. That means boring stuff like budgets, contracts, bank accounts, insurance, punctuality, advertising, competitive analysis, pricing strategies and a business plan. That’s not so much fun, but there’s the rub. Without all of these items backing you up, the band will just fall back in on itself.

Have a look at these guys. Read up on them. From their earliest days back in NYC as Wicked Lester, Gene and Paul had a business plan to create a product. Not just play music, but create a product filled with marketing and branding excellence. Remember the KISS Army? This was a major step up from the fan clubs created for the Beatles and people like that.

You might not want to look and sound like KISS, but have a look at how they put on a show. It’s an experience. There are many other acts you could choose to study in place of KISS if you want. Alice Cooper and Meatloaf were part of the first rockers to put choreography into their acts, paving the way for people like Madonna and Lady Gaga. Garth Brooks, the Foo Fighters, and Taylor Swift are role models of a hugely satisfying, yet largely unadorned spectacle. They don’t wear kabuki makeup, but their energy and sheer strength of performance surpasses the songs’ own impact. Of course Mariah Cary, J-Lo and a host of others now fully understand the importance of visual amazingness in their concerts.

The point is, regardless of the ultimate goals of a band, whether it’s to play professional festivals like SXSW or simply a local pub, the odds of getting there increase when a business approach is used. Although most musicians say they play music in part to get away from the trappings of the business world, it cannot be denied that music is a business and performing it is a product. So alongside the biographies of your favorite music heroes, it might be a good idea to also have a copy of the E-Myth Revisited.

When you are looking to entertain your guests, one of the primary questions regarding entertainment is whether to hire a live band or a DJ to deliver the music. The choice generally is easy: it comes down to cost, and DJ’s are cheaper. They play the exact tunes that your guests know and love from the radio and YouTube, and given that they are usually a group of one, maybe two, they will likely be more reliable in terms of showing up.

DJs provide a great service, much like Starbucks or Subway do: a consistent packaged product, tweaked for your own preference, at a reasonable price.

However, most event planners and brides that I know do not consider Starbucks or Subway when selecting a caterer. They want a team of people who will deliver excellent food, prepared specifically for the event, in a professional and dignified manner. And that, believe it or not, is what great event bands do. They are not wild rock and rollers; they are focused on delivering a unique excellent multisensory product that generates a sense of event.

A great band generates excitement and feeds it to the audience: live musicians are alive. They see the audience and the audience sees them. There is a personal connection; eye to eye, smile to smile. A live band can see what works, what motivates people to dance, what makes them happy. They deliver music as a gift – carefully created and hand delivered. It is a very personal experience.

A great band knows a lot of tunes and can play what your audience wants. A great band consults with the client; works with the client to determine which tunes and sequences would work best. A great band is responsible enough to rehearse regularly and fully, so that the delivery of the tunes is respectful, to both the audience and to the original artist. Most bands are not tribute acts. They interpret tunes faithfully and assign the singing duties to those who can best deliver. They have a wide range of tunes to pull from, and their experience helps deliver them in the most effective manner.

A great band is a special event : a sense of occasion. Your guests see people on stage; talented musicians who are ready to give their all for the audience’s enjoyment. This performance will be unique; no other party or bride will have exactly the same collection of tunes, jokes, comments and special memories. Their product is as valuable as the food on the tables and atmosphere of the event itself.

A great band looks great. They dress the part. They dress to impress the audience, to look like something special. They are great-looking people holding great -looking instruments, under great looking lighting. There is a certain wonder to seeing musicians; they hold the key to the magic of an evening. They deliver energy and enjoyment. You only have to look at the air-guitar players that every audience reveals that show just how many people wish it was them up there on that stage, looking cool, delivering the pleasure. It’s not just the music. It’s a whole look and feel.

A great band means the music does not have to stop. Event planners often worry that the music and momentum stops the moment the musicians take a break. But great bands are already on top of that, ensuring additional music is made available over the PA during the breaks. The momentum never ends, but the excitement always rebuilds when an audience sees a band return to the stage and pick up their instruments.

A great band has passion. Musicians love to play music and it shows. They live to deliver joy to audiences, and audiences pick up on this. It becomes part of the vibe of the moment and of the memories that last long after.

A great band is reliable. Working musicians are craftspeople, not divas or rock stars. They understand the importance of an event, and they understand that the event starts long before its actual date: planning and preparation are essential. A great band works hard to make its clients’ lives easier and stress-free by removing the worries about hiring a group of musicians. A great band shows up early, sets up and sound checks efficiently and with respect to others who are also setting up. They constantly monitor for satisfaction and take care to craft their performance in an agile way that rides the momentum of the event. Great bands are all about excellence in customer service throughout the entire multi-week life of an event.

Are great bands expensive? Well, they cost more than DJs do. But they deliver more also. A band of three or four or even six musicians represents decades of practice, education and experience in the business of delivering a quality product. Like a great catering company, chef, emcee or event planner, their value is in their experience and professionalism, and their price reflects that. Great bands need never be prohibitively expensive; but they do deliver above and beyond what they charge. They deliver a very human and very tangible emotional product that is more than just music. It is an integral part of the event itself.